1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a game of dice and more particularly, to an improved dice game for use in casinos and which is an improvement on the game currently known as Craps.
2. Description of the Related Art
Craps is the name of a popular dice game,--a name known the world over. The Encyclopedia Britannica when explaining one version of the game states that generally, any number of people may play and each player in turn may, as the shooter, cast two matched dice in an attempt to roll a winning combination. Usually, before his or her first throw the shooter puts up a stake and other players bet against the shooter up to the amount of the stake. If the shooter wins when the dice are rolled, he or she may continue to shoot and bet again as much or as little as desired. Alternatively, the shooter may give up the dice. If the shooter loses, the other players win the amount they bet. The other players may also bet among themselves as to whether the shooter will win or lose in the next series of throws or whether certain numbers or combinations will appear.
As is almost universlly known, each die is a cube with each of the six faces bearing one of the numbers 1 through 6 with no two faces bearing the same number. The number is indicated by a series of dots except that the number "1" is indicated by one dot.
Generally, the rules of the game provide that the shooter using two dice will win if he or she rolls a 7 or 11 on the first roll. If the first roll results in a 2, 3 or 12, the shooter loses. Bets are then settled. If the shooter's first throw is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, that number is the shooter's "point" and he or she continues to roll until either the same number appears again which results in a win, or the shooter throws a 7 and loses both his or her bet as well as the dice. Again, side bets may be laid with or against the shooter either before or after the shooter rolls a point.
The game of Craps is probably most well known in its version as a casino game. One of the popular Las Vegas, Nevada casinos describes the game a little differently from that explained in the Encyclopedia Britannica. Most importantly, all wagers are placed vis-a-vis the casino and also before the shooter rolls the dice. The types of wagers are somewhat varied and are described as follows: "pass line" is an even money bet. On the first roll the better wins on a natural 7 or 11 and loses on a 2, 3 or 12. Any other number is the "point" and the shooter must throw the point again before a 7 is rolled in order for a win to occur. "Don't pass line" is the opposite of the "pass line". The better loses on a natural 7 or an 11 on the first roll. The better wins on a 2 or 3 while the 12 is a tie with the casino. The better also loses after the first roll if the point is made. A better will win after the first roll if the roll is a 7 before the point is made. "Come bets" are made any time after the first roll when a shooter has a point to make. A better wins on a natural 7 or 11 and loses on 2, 3 or 12. Any number that comes up is a "come point" and must be thrown before a seven is thrown. "Don't come bets" are opposite of the "come bet" except that a first roll of 2 or 3 wins and a 12 is a tie. The better loses on a natural 7 or 11. Any other number thrown is the "come point" and the better loses if the come point is made before a seven is rolled. Under certain conditions, "free odds" are bets placed after a point is rolled on the first roll or a come point on a succeeding roll. The better takes the odds and wins if the point or come points are made before a 7 is rolled. The true payoff odds are two to one on a roll of 4 or 10, three to two on a roll of 5 or 9, six to five on a roll of 6 or 8. "Don't pass" or "Don't come" are bets in reverse. "Place bets" occur after a shooter rolls a point. The better may make a place bet on numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10. If the shooter rolls any one of those numbers before 7, the better wins the following payoffs: nine to five on a roll of 4 or 10, seven to five on a roll of 5 or 9 and seven to six on a roll of 6 or 8. "Field bets" are one roll bets. The better wins even money on 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11, two to one on a roll of 2 and three to one on a roll of 12. The better loses on 5, 6, 7 and 8. "Proposition bets" are also one roll bets. Two or twelve pays 31 to 1. Any crap (2, 3 and 12) pays 7 to 1, 3 and 11 pay 16 to 1. "Hard ways" betters win if the number comes up exactly as on the table and loses if the number comes up any other way or if a 7 is thrown. These one roll bets vary somewhat between casinos in their description and payoff odds.
"Craps" is widely known as the name of a dice game but the rules of play certainly are not widely known, simply because they require substantial memorization of numbers and their relationship, which is not consistent from one game to the next, and because the number of rolls and their win/lose outcome will vary as a function of the numbers being rolled.